R.P. Lumber Acquires Indiana-Based Bender Lumber
R.P. Lumber is set to acquire Bender Lumber, a nearly century-old Indiana company. The deal will add eight locations to R.P. Lumber's portfolio, expanding its total reach to 99 stores. This acquisition marks further consolidation within the regional home improvement retail market.
- Bender Lumber was founded in 1931 as Wegmiller Lumber Company; the Bender family purchased it in 1963. In 2001, the company established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), making its employees part owners. - The seller, John Bender, has an entrepreneurial history that extends beyond lumber; he was one of the original founders of Pizza Hut in 1958 and later became a franchisee with 25 locations in Indiana. - Illinois-based R.P. Lumber was founded in 1977 by husband and wife Robert and Donna Plummer, who were both school teachers at the time. The company is still family-owned and operated, with Robert Plummer serving as President and CEO. - This marks R.P. Lumber's second acquisition in Indiana within the last year; the company previously acquired the two-location Dye Home Improvement in October 2025, bringing its total footprint in the state to ten stores. - According to R.P. Lumber, all of Bender Lumber's more than 100 employees will be retained in their current roles, and the company plans to invest in additional technology, equipment, and inventory at the new locations. - The acquisition reflects a broader trend of consolidation in the fragmented lumber and building materials distribution market, where strategic buyers are increasingly using M&A to expand their footprint and market share. - The leaders of the two companies, John Bender and the Plummer family, had a pre-existing professional friendship, which both parties cited as a factor in the deal.
